#sofia jannok

SÁLMBA (PSALM)

Guora mu luottaid guorba duoddariin. Gájo mu galbmasis. Leage lahka go dárbbahan soapmása leahkit lahkosis. Láide mu guovssonástti čuovggain. Láide mu ruoktut. Láide mu suhkkes rođu čađa. Láide mu ruoktut. Leage dás, leage dás, leage dás lahkosis. Leage lahkosis. Doala mu askkis vai in gahča. Doala mu nannosit.

Sofia Jannok- This is my land (official)

  Intro translation:

“The State is of the opinion that the claim put forward by the Sámi reindeer herding community with regards to their long tradition of being engaged in reindeer husbandry, hunting and fishing in the area is of irrelevance to the case. In order to be eligible to claim immemorial prescription, said claim has to be based on a 90 years long use of an area. Any additional use for a longer period of time is of irrelevance to the legality of the claim.”

“Because of the claim that it is of importance that the Sámi have been using this area, the State is of the opinion that it is of utmost importance to define what is meant by the term Sámi, and how specific such a definition really is. This is what the following material is meant to do.” (Excerpts from the State Attorney’s intervention during the hearing in the court case between the Sámi reindeer herding community Girjas - from whence Sofia Jannok’s grandmother came - and the Swedish State. Gällivare Lapland District Court, June, 2015.)

LYRICS

This is my land, this is my country and if I’d be the queen you’d see that I’d take everyone by hand and sing it so it’s out there

that we’ll paint this land blue, yellow, red and green

If you say that this girl’s not welcome in this country, if she must leave because her face is brown

Well, then I’d say you go first ’cause frankly this is my land and here we live in peace, I’ll teach you how 

This is my pride, this is my freedom, this is the air that I breathe and you’ll find no kings, no queens, here everybody’s equal - men, women and all who are in between 

This is my home, this is my heaven, this is the earth where I belong and if you want to ruin it all with big wounds in the mountains then you’re not worthy of listening to this song

This is my land, this is my country, these lakes, rivers, hills and woods If you open up your eyes you’ll find someone is lying

I’ve always been here, welcome to my hoods

this is a music video by the sami artist Sofia Jannok. the song is written as a response to the court case between the Sámi reindeer herding community Girja and the swedish state.

Snölejoninna  |  Snow lioness

Urfolkskvinna, snölejoninna, jag är regnbågen på din näthinna...  |  Indigenous woman, snow lioness, I am the rainbow on your retina...

WE ARE STILL HERE (Official) - Sofia Jannok feat. Anders Sunna

Intro (Translation of Excerpts from the State Attorney’s intervention during the hearing in the court case between the Sámi reindeer herding community Girjas - from whence Sofia Jannok’s grandmother came - and the Swedish State. Gällivare Lapland District Court, June, 2015.):

“From the onset on, it is of importance to state that: The Sámi have not been subjected to discrimination by the State.” ”The question then is what is meant by the concept of ethnicity, if it is to be claimed that the Sámi is an ethnic group. And then it becomes clear that ethnicity as a concept is a highly debated one.” ”The ethnic aspect has been of no relevance from a historic point of view, when a distinction was made between nomads, in other words Lapps, and settlers.”

“[...] The entire archaeological evidence put forward by the Sámi reindeer herding community is of no relevance to the case in question.” ”The State consistently disputes the claim that the Sámi have been present in the area on a large scale basis [...] before the 17th century.”

one more music video from the sami music artist Sofia Jannok. This one is produced in cooperation with the sami visual art artist Anders Sunna, who is the one who make the art pieces in the video.

This video is made in response to the colonial and racist way the State Attorney’s behaved during the hearing in the court case between the Sámi reindeer herding community Girjas and the Swedish State.

The l-word used by the State Attorney during the case is a slur towards sami people, which should not be used. that it were constantly said by the lawyers of the swedish state during the court trial, were just a part of the very colonial language used by the the swedish state during the trial.

the Swedish State were critized by several sami rights fighters for how the State still used the very same colonial language that has been historically, and as the sami rights fighters pointed out, is still in use by the Swedish State when they speak to and about the sami people and their rights.

An example of this criticism of the Swedish States behaviour during the trial is in this debate newspaper article with the title is  “Rasbiologiskt språkbruk i statens rättsprocess mot sameby”- translation “the language of race biology is used by the Swedish States during their trial against a  Sámi reindeer herding community”. click for link 

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